The next statutory assessment of housing needs will be carried out by local authorities in March 1999. Guidelines in relation to the carrying out of the assessment will issue shortly to local authorities. Details of results, on a local authority basis, of the previous assessment carried out in March 1996, including information on household size and category of need, were published in my Department's annual housing statistics bulletin for 1996, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library.
Statements showing the number of housing starts authorised for each local authority for the years 1996 to 1998 are available in the Oireachtas Library.
An Action Programme for the Millennium sets out the Government's commitment to a continuing, house construction programme by local authorities and voluntary groups. A programme of 3,900 housing starts and acquisitions has been notified to local authorities for 1998. These, with output from the complementary social housing measures and vacancies occurring in the existing local authority housing stock, will enable up to 10,000 households to be catered for in 1998. Having regard to increasing needs, I am seeking additional resources for social housing in the 1999 Estimates.
